RNA Biology at UC Berkeley, HHMI

UC Berkeley Reviews (5)

North America

In the spring of 2008 I decided to study at UC Berkeley because I found the option on your website for students who have not yet completed their high school diploma or technical college entrance qualification to study in California. I thought that was great as I didn’t want to do a year abroad at a high school while I was at school. I found the opportunity to study abroad for around 2 months great.

I then started the registration process with your website and I would also recommend everyone to take the help of your website for studying abroad. Help is really competent and quick, whether on the phone or by e-mail. I didn’t have any major organizational problems. However, you should book the flight fairly early, otherwise it will be quite expensive and you should also take care of the visa quickly, there are many forms to fill out and you have to go to the American consulate.

When I arrived in Berkeley, my stay was just great! Berkeley is a beautiful university city. Berkeley is especially known for its hippies. The student and peace movement began in Berkeley. You can see that on many streets here and you almost only meet friendly, open people here. There are so many sports and leisure opportunities directly on campus and in the area that the stay will never be boring.

I lived in the International House, which I can only recommend to everyone. It’s a bit more expensive and the rooms are probably smaller and not quite as nice as in the resident halls, but the international flair there is great! It’s so easy to get to know so many different people from so different countries. That was a great experience for me. Especially at the many parties in the I-House you get to know a lot of people and have a lot of fun! I have so many friends all over the world now. I lived in a hallway with almost all Indians, which took some getting used to at the beginning, but later I realized what kind of interesting people they are and had a lot of fun with them. Check ehuacom to see more reviews from current students.

My courses are introductory courses in politics and economics. The lessons were especially good in politics and you had to do a lot for it. We had to write essays every week, we had a lot to read and learn and a few tests, but overall it was fun, especially since the American way of teaching is very pleasant. I had 2 lectures every day that lasted 2 hours, but the material was interesting and most of the professors are good. But I would not recommend more than 2 courses to anyone. Those who prefer to have a little more time should perhaps choose just one course. The grading was good, even though, as already mentioned, I am still a student and that was also the case with most of the Germans I met.

In addition to the university, we also did a lot, mainly on the weekends. San Francisco is very easy and quick to get to and worth a few visits. It’s best to explore the area with lots of people, that’s actually what I enjoyed most.

In conclusion, it was a great time that I would definitely repeat. As a student, I found the opportunity to get a taste of student life and that at one of the best universities in the USA. Although my stay was only 2 months, my English has improved a lot and I gained a lot of experience, especially in the International House. I would particularly recommend Berkeley to high school students like me. But you should already choose a subject that interests you very much, then you will get along well and have a lot of fun.

RNA Biology at UC Berkeley, HHMI